As soon as the suffrage law proposal was passed, the Order Party erupted in deafening cheers.
From this mont, the two-year-long "war" between the Order Party and the Social Democrats could finally be declared over. Nearly one-third of France’s residents would be completely stripped of their voting rights, which ant the Social Democrats lost one-third of their support rate. The remaining two-thirds of the votes mostly ca from the petite bourgeoisie living in urban areas, whose conservatism would lead them to vote en masse for the Order Party.
Because the Order Party were the "guardians of religion, order, and morality."
On the Social Democrats’ side, aside from a few mbers showing expressions of despair, the majority of the mbers kept a straight face, quietly waiting for the Legislative Assembly to conclude.
Having lost the suffrage law, they no longer possessed any threat to the Order Party.
"Silence!" Speaker Malaste knocked on his gavel again to try to maintain the dignity of the Legislative Assembly.
Under Speaker Malaste’s gavel, the Order Party gradually quieted down, replacing cheers with applause to mock the Social Democrats mbers.
"This is another Fructidor of the newborn Republic!"
Mountain Faction mber Emile Olivier, sitting beside Victor Hugo, responded indignantly to Victor Hugo.
Victor Hugo smiled without responding to Emile Olivier.
Though Victor Hugo internally agreed with Emile Olivier’s words, he still maintained respect for the Legislative Assembly in his heart.
The conclusion drawn by the Legislative Assembly was ultimately due to their power.
Amidst the applause from the Order Party, Speaker Malaste announced the end of the Legislative Assembly.
mbers of the Order Party, the Republican Faction, the Mountain Faction, and the Elysée Palace Party left one after another.
"Look! Look! Our Romanticist great poet, as fickle as the wind, in the end, accomplished nothing!"
An Order Party mber approached Victor Hugo and mocked him greatly, to which Victor Hugo responded with a smile: "Gentlen, you have won! You have won beautifully, yet your victory was one achieved by trampling on the sacredness of the Republic! I hope that one day, the tis we have experienced will not replay for you!"
Victor Hugo’s response left the Order Party mber a little irritated; this was not what a loser, a traitor, should say!
What is a traitor so proud of!
Before the Order Party mber could make another mocking remark, the voice of party leader Thiers ca from behind the mber: "Make way, I wish to speak with Mr. Hugo!"
The mber hurriedly made way, and Dwarf Thiers appeared before Victor Hugo.
At this mont, Thiers looked at Victor Hugo with a face full of spring breeze and pride. In a gentle and elegant tone, he extended an invitation to Victor Hugo: "Senator Hugo, would you accompany for a walk?"
Victor Hugo, after hesitating for a mont, having resolved to break away from the Order Party, replied, "Alright!"
Thiers and Victor Hugo walked out of the Bourbon Palace side by side.
At Thiers’ invitation, Victor Hugo boarded Thiers’ carriage, with Thiers taking him ho.
Inside the carriage, Thiers showed no signs of anger at all. With a smile on his face, he looked at Victor Hugo and said amicably, "Senator Hugo, can you tell why you want to leave our party? Is it rely because our party’s principles don’t et your expectations?"
"Mr. Thiers, isn’t that reason enough?" Victor Hugo retorted.
Thiers shrugged and responded: "Senator Hugo, I was once also a mber of the Romantic School! Back then, like you, I wanted the poor of France to have their own rights!"
"Mr. Thiers, I have indeed heard of your deeds!" Victor Hugo nodded.
"But!" Thiers revealed a bitter smile, spreading his hands out: "As my position rose higher and higher, I realized that in this country, there always exists an entity called ’rules’ that we must rely on to conduct our affairs!"
"What you an, Thiers, is that everything you say and do is not from your own volition? That the suffrage law proposal was not out of your subjective intent?" Victor Hugo’s words carried a hint of sarcasm.
Victor Hugo had no regard for Thiers’ evasive response using so-called "rules."
"No, no, no! Although we are all restrained by invisible rules, most of it is indeed of my own intent!" Thiers responded without concealnt: "I believe democracy is indeed a good thing; it can eliminate disagreents among senators to the greatest extent possible, yet I do not consider implenting universal suffrage is a great principle now! Two years ago, we elected a Napoleon! If unchecked, perhaps another Napoleon will erge!"
Thiers’ sophistry and Jero Bonaparte’s untrustworthiness stirred a faint sense of agreent within Victor Hugo’s heart.
If the people were to elect another Napoleon... No! If Napoleon truly is the choice of the people, then we must respect that!
After a fleeting mont of agreent, Victor Hugo firmly stated, "Senator Thiers, this is not an excuse for you to restrict universal suffrage! I believe the people will make a rational choice, and they would never let a tyrant co to power!"
"Really?" Thiers showed a aningful smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Of course!"
Despite Thiers’ smile adding so unease to Victor Hugo’s heart, Victor Hugo still responded to him unwaveringly.
"Alright then!" Thiers shrugged, earnestly saying, "Senator Hugo, you are just like now! The Mountain Faction is not your final destination; soon you will realize they are not the ones you are looking for! The Socialists only bring chaos to this country; they know how to destroy but not how to build..."
Before Thiers could finish his words, Victor Hugo interrupted him coldly, "Mr. Thiers, I admit that you and your party mbers have so experience in governance!"
"Then why don’t you join us!" Thiers incredulously asked Victor Hugo, not understanding why Victor Hugo was so stubborn.
"But your governance policies are based on harming others’ interests; you take away their guns and then want to take away their power, even trying to silence them!" Victor Hugo harshly criticized Thiers, "Compared to you, the Mountain Faction may lack governance experience, but I believe they will surpass you in the future!"
The carriage slowly ca to a stop, and the coachman’s voice ca through from outside, "Mr. Hugo, we have arrived at Vosges Square!"
"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Thiers! I think it’s ti for to go!" Victor Hugo pushed open the carriage door and left Thiers’ carriage.
The carriage door slowly closed, leaving Thiers sitting alone inside.
"Romantic poets are always so wishful!" Thiers sighed, speaking to himself.
On Thiers’ command, the carriage set off again in the opposite direction from Victor Hugo.
anwhile, Jero Bonaparte at the Elysee Palace also received the news that the Legislative Assembly had concluded.
"Cousin, how did the Legislative Assembly go?" Jero Bonaparte asked the newly appointed Secretary General, Senator Alexander Valerovsky.
[Alexander Valerovsky (1810—1868), the illegitimate son of Napoleon I, cousin of Napoleon III, Jero Bonaparte’s cousin, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Second French Empire, among other positions.]
From Percy’s appointnt as Minister of Public Works to now, Valerovsky, who had only been Secretary General for less than half a month, diligently reported to Jero Bonaparte, "The Order Party won a great victory! The law restricting universal suffrage has been passed!"
"Excellent!" Jero Bonaparte cheered, clenching his fist with ambition.
Once the law restricting universal suffrage was implented, it ant that the Order Party had completely trampled the foundation of the Republic’s constitution underfoot.
Without the sacred backing of the constitution, how could the Legislative Assembly be his opponent!
"However, Mr. Victor Hugo has joined the Mountain Faction!" Valerovsky continued to inform Jero Bonaparte about Victor Hugo joining the Mountain Faction and his speech at the podium.
"As expected, just like history!" Jero Bonaparte murmured to himself.
"Mr. President, is there anything you need to do?" Valerovsky asked Jero Bonaparte with a voice resembling that of an emperor.
"Publish Mr. Victor Hugo’s speech in our newspaper! I want the whole of Paris to know about Senator Hugo’s speech!" Jero Bonaparte commanded Valerovsky.
"Hmm?" Valerovsky didn’t understand Jero Bonaparte’s intention and, being cautious by nature, cautiously asked, "What about our side with the Order Party..."
"No need to explain anything to them! We are not of the sa ilk!" Jero Bonaparte explained to Valerovsky, "They are solely focused on restoring the monarch they serve, while I..."
Jero Bonaparte paused, then righteously declared, "What I want to defend is the universal suffrage system of France!"
As a political chaleon, Jero Bonaparte finally tore off the affectionate veil; he wanted to sever the strings of the Legislative Assembly and smash it to pieces.
Valerovsky’s mouth twitched slightly, but he still faithfully executed Jero Bonaparte’s orders.
On the third morning.
Victor Hugo’s speech in the National Assembly, with the Republican Faction and Jero Bonaparte’s enthusiastic promotion, quickly spread throughout Paris.
On the streets and in cafes, everyone was discussing Victor Hugo’s speech.
Victor Hugo’s na once again swept through all of Paris.
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